


Overpass

by Ylevihs



Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Typical Violence, Gen, Minor OC - Freeform, Richard Abekket, Writing practice, mad dog - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 13:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18993640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ylevihs/pseuds/Ylevihs
Summary: A brief altercation between Mad Dog and Lady Argent





	Overpass

**Author's Note:**

> Simple writing practice

The adrenaline was settling, nestling itself into the nooks and crannies of his spine, making his veins sting and fingers twitch in anticipation. It didn’t register that he was really breathing—the sensation too dulled. His head ached somewhere in the distance. Boosters made his pace quick, darting around the corner and out of sight. Something akin to euphoria. 

Dangerous, that feeling. Easy to get lost in, easy to. Easy to, ah, beans, so easy to pluck the stop sign up from the cement. The Rat King prickled at the base of his spine. Danger. To the. Right. Mad Dog waited. Waited. Flipped his hold on the metal to get a better grip on it. A batter’s grip.

_Danger._

Another titter from the Rat King and he pulled his arms back to swing. She rounded the corner.

Home run. The sound Argent made when the sign slammed into her face was altogether too satisfying. She stayed on her feet, despite how harshly her head snapped back from impact. Nothing could stop the bark of laughter. Manic. Bright. Untethering. Cartoonish. Saturday morning villain. 

Focus. 

“I can’t believe you fell for that,” he swung again, an overextended back hand. High pitched cackling. Caught her in the jaw and Mad Dog saw her face crumple in pain the split second before he dropped the sign to run. 

Danger.

Argent cursed loudly behind him. He let her. 

Fighting Argent was too much fun. A reckless, stupid thought. A true one. She was dangerous and unpredictable and something ugly and jubilant rose to the surface of Richard’s thoughts whenever she appeared on scene. She could kill him. She really could. Might. Would. If he baited her just right for just long enough.   
Something from his hind-brain reached forward, passed the Rat King, and gave those thoughts a smack. Tried to, at least. It was elbowed hard to the side by dangerdangerdangmove _NOW_. He ducked just in time. Was Argent getting faster? An electric thrill started low in his stomach and shot up to his throat. 

Claws sung in this air where his head was just at. Quick. So quick. So. Strong enough to bury her claws deep into concrete and catch them. Oh. Somebody was angry. An opening. Mad Dog buried a fist into her ribs. One punch. Enough to break an average person’s ribs. Back to running. 

“Are you just doing this to piss me off?” Lady Argent didn’t even sound winded, but she did sound furious. Good. Cement dust and heavy debris and her hand was free. Giving chase. 

“Is it working?” over his shoulder. Definitely faster. Terrifying. Exciting. 

“You little,” cut off. Cut short. Stopped short by Mad Dog stopping short. Darting around another column. Danger _right_. He dodged left and let her knock out a chunk from the support. Easier and easier and. 

Pain. White hot. Metal puncturing metal. White. Red. Dulling. The suit’s sensors wailed. He silenced them. Argent’s claws catching his right hip and sinking. Sunk. 

Ow. 

Nothing he couldn’t handle. Raised his free leg and kicked backwards, connecting hard with her stomach. Relief. Brief. Back to running, boosters engaging. Drifting the curve. 

“Are you just running in circles?” Absolutely. _Idiot_. The thought was strong and all hers. One more pass around should do it. If he could. Get her to. The last column.   
It was two in the morning. Traffic never really died in Los Diablos but it waxed and waned. Shouldn’t be any people up there. The nanovores had chewed up the on-ramp just before Argent arrived. The plan had been to let them devour the whole damn thing. Nice and slow. But someone had screamed, tires peeled out. And then, bam. Argent. Of course it would be her to show up first. 

But. No one on the overpass. Shouldn’t be anyone on the overpass. The Rat King did a quick sweep and. Oh. Oh, no. No no no nononono. Someone was up there. Tight confused fear. Alone. An adult, at least. 

Ah, beans. 

His hip barked its protests at being made to swerve sharply. Boosted forward, around the last column. Passing an empty car. Swerving again. Reangling to run up the on ramp. Mad Dog bit hard on the inside of his cheek against the pain in his pelvis. Behind him Argent made a noise of frustration. Oh yeah? You think you’re annoyed now? 

A Bentley. Driver’s door open. Back seat shut. Fear confusion alone. Not the fleeing type. Frozen in shock. Ah. Oh ho? He knew that car. Were it not for the Ranger rapidly approaching behind him. There was a tinny voice in his head that pointed out he’d only meant to open it. It was shushed into a corner to sulk. The car door clunked off easily in his fist. A streak of silver in the corner of his—Mad Dog chucked the door at her. A shiver of pleasure as it made Argent stumble.

Senator Carmichael made a noise like a balloon leaking air. 

“Good morning, Valerie,” the modulators turned the greeting to a growl, sending rolling satisfaction through his core. “You’re out early,” pathetically easy to grab her forearm and pull her into his arms. 

Danger behind. 

Argent paused when he turned, Senator Carmichael squirming in his arms. A small woman. Compact. Fear. Animal and base and. A little excited. Hm. 

A moment to take in the scene and then Argent made a scoffing noise, flipping her hair out of her face. She brushed dust off of her gleaming shoulder. “Taking hostages isn’t your style,” Mad Dog shrugged, silent, focused on blocking out Carmichael’s thrumming panic. Stemming it down. Shoving it back. Not calm but at least complacent enough to stop struggling. Mad Dog pulled out of her head. The Rat King locked onto Lady Argent for him, doubling down on broadcasting her movements. Watching her swing her weight from foot to foot. 

Movement in the water. Connections. Sharp. Darting. So fast. So dangerously fast. “Neither’s killing people,” her eyes narrowed, slipping off of him to survey the road. Putting it together. Whip quick. Smart. She could kill him. Could have more than once and still hadn’t yet. She had fun fighting him too, when he didn’t run. 

Carmichael was babbling quietly. Directed at Lady Argent. “Please don’t let him hurt me,” ah, melodramatic. Even if he couldn’t see it in the low light, he felt Argent roll her eyes. The skin on her hands glinted and gleamed as she curled them into tight fists. 

“He’s not here for you,” Argent’s position shifted. The Rat King perked up, but didn’t alert him to anything new. The steady baseline of _careful_ remained the same. “Why destroy this?” her weight steadied, ready for him to stop running and give her the fight she wanted. Annoyance jumping when he took a step closer to the edge of the ramp. 

“Why not?” 

“You don’t do _random_ ,” Argent bristled, her mind spiking outwards. Carmichael kicked gently at the words. Pushed down again. Harder this time. She was practically relaxed in his hold. “And you didn’t know she was going be here,” a fair point. What was the Senator doing out at such an early hour anyway? Thoughts for another time. 

“You certainly know a lot about what I do and don’t do,” another step closer to the edge. 

“Shut up,” not angry. Annoyed. Watching him move. Debating her options. “Just let her go so we can get back to business,”


End file.
